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It’s nearly time for the Ginkgo Grove at the State Arboretum of Virginia to reach full color. So, as I was checking the dates of my trips there from last year, I thought I’d explore some of the images to see if I’d overlooked any that might be fun to revisit. The grove is amazing, with the vivid colors and scents of the decaying fruit all mingling together to overwhelm your senses. While I appreciate the many benches that are […]

Last weekend we managed to get out during a break in the weather to hike in West Virginia. We traveled to the Berkeley Springs area and enjoyed a few hours at Cacapon State Park on the trails as well as a stroll through the artsy downtown. Berkeley Springs is home to the country’s first spa, and the mineral springs are still a popular place. In fact, as I shot the image above, a man was in the adjacent pool taking […]

The beginning of the new year often brings resolutions and goals. Over the years, some of my best intentions have become lifelong habits (giving up soda), others have started out strongly and then waned (daily treadmill workouts) and, sadly, more often than not, they’ve quickly been left behind as more “important” duties have superseded them. As this year’s New Year’s celebrations came and went, I was immersed in an unfortunate experience in rebuilding my computer after the RAM went bad […]

An impromptu hike through the State Arboretum of Virginia this afternoon, and we stumbled upon a hidden glade overflowing with color. The trusty iPhone came in handy, and, after propping myself against a branch, I managed a couple of stable shots as the sun disappeared over the horizon. We enjoyed a brisk walk as the chilly evening temperatures fell and observed the last of the fall colors. Peppermint and Cam burned off some energy and will no doubt sleep well […]

I have fond memories of Earth Day from my childhood. I recall many special events, field trips and volunteer efforts where I got my hands dirty, cleaned up streams, planted trees and hunted for salamanders in window wells. As a student at John Muir Elementary School and then a Natural Resources major in college, I learned to appreciate Earth Day from the ground up as I studied ecosystems, geology, Rachel Carson, the extinction of species, biochemistry, botany and global deforestation […]

While out on my travels today, I stopped in my local grocery store to have some prescriptions filled. As I was there waiting, I meandered around and stumbled upon a Goldfinch Thistle Sock that happened to be on sale. I’d never seen such a thing, so I picked one up. We’ve had a few goldfinches in the yard this spring, so I thought they might find it interesting. Little did I know how popular this feeder would be! After only about […]

This week’s Photo Challenge is Lost in the Details, and it reminded me of a challenging time I had photographing The Angel Oak in Charleston, South Carolina. The Angel Oak is estimated to be 300 to 400 years old and is thought to be the largest Live Oak East of the Mississippi River. With a height of 65 feet and covering 17,000 square feet of shade, The Angel Oak’s immensity is difficult to capture in one frame without losing perspective. At […]

I played with the macro function on the iPhone this week and had some fun. I discovered my favorite app, Camera+, does a nice job on macro as well as traditional imaging. This photo was edited using only the Camera+ Clarity filter. The impressive pine cone, about the size of your fist, has great texture and was found on the Table Mountain Pine (Pinus pungens), which is one of the many types of pines at the State Arboretum of Virginia.

We finally had a nice winter day, so Cam and I took the dogs for a walk at the State Arboretum of Virginia. We chose the three-mile loop and enjoyed stretching our legs and letting Peppermint and Derby, the dog that we’re dog-sitting this weekend, run through some of the open fields. It was the calm before the next storm, and the cirrus clouds made for a nice backdrop to the beautiful scenery. In addition to getting the dogs some […]

We awoke this morning to an ice-covered world, which turned out to be perfect for this week’s challenge on Cee’s Photography: Water. More birds than usual have visited the feeders today, including dozens of Dark-Eyed Juncos and Sparrows. My favorite Chickadee took a break from feeding on the bell (we’re now on the third version) to pose for me on a nearby tree, puffing up to keep warm on this frigid day. The birds are definitely getting more comfortable with […]

I’ve now stopped in at the State Arboretum of Virginia three times this week. We’ve been so fortunate to have perfect fall weather, with glorious days of crisp temperatures and sunny mornings and evenings so it was difficult to just drive on by. On one of my morning walks with Peppermint, I took a new path and came across a small collection of Ginkgos on the opposite side of the arboretum from the Ginkgo Grove. These trees overlook the Blue […]

The Hill School tree looked beautiful today with fresh green buds and a field of bright yellow flowers at its base. It was the perfect model for my iPhone and the Pro HDR app. Peppermint and I took a walk up to the tree and admired the scenery now so bright green and fresh. I’m so glad spring has arrived here in Virginia, and I look forward to spending more time outside with my camera.

I wasn’t sure if the Bradford Pear tree that suffered so much damage during last winter’s freak October snow storm would rebound from its injuries. It turns out, I needn’t have worried. This spring the tree had abundant flowers, even the one huge limb that’s barely still attached and needs to be trimmed off at some point this year. With the setting sun giving the blooms a beautiful soft glow, I enjoyed shooting some macro images one evening. Just as […]

This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is the word “indulge.” My first instinct was to photograph some of my personal indulgences, which include Godiva chocolate, a heated fleece throw and my horse. But, as I was thinking more deeply about the meaning of indulge, I realized that an indulgence isn’t necessarily a tangible item. An indulgence can be just a moment in time, where, for instance, you pause between daily tasks to soak in a ray of sunlight on an […]

Each spring, The Hill School holds an auction, which is the school’s primary fundraiser. The auction holds a special place in my heart because well before I had Cameron—who is now a sixth-grader there—and several years before I was married, I got the best dog I’ve ever had through the auction. After 16 wonderful years, he passed away from old age in 2009. Over the years, I’ve donated a variety of items to the auction to support Hill and its […]

We awoke to 2 inches of snow on the ground and clinging to the trees on the mountain yesterday. But only a white haze was visible in the distance from “down below” when I went to the barn to ride this afternoon. I paused on my drive home to photograph this tree, which was stunning against a vibrant blue sky. The hay field to the right of the stone wall is one of my favorite places to ride, and I […]

An unseasonably warm January has continued on into February, but we did have a light snow fall overnight that left the mountain with a delicate white coating this morning. A foggy white haze remained covering the Blue Ridge, and periods of light snow fell periodically as the sun worked its way through cracks in the cloud bank. Before I went to the barn, I took a few photos, catching buds on this Bradford pear cloaked in white crystals. This poor tree […]

Having Teddy at Hidden Hollow in Upperville means that now my route often takes me past Llangollen, an incredibly beautiful estate that sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about five miles from my home. Llangollen has a rich history but is most famous for being the home of Liz Whitney Tippett, a renowned horsewoman of the past century who was widely known for breeding top-class Thoroughbreds for flat racing, steeplechase, showing and foxhunting. It’s now home to […]

The winter weather advisory today was a blessing in disguise. I wasn’t tempted to keep my plans intact and risk further irritating my healing neck. The roads were too icy for me to go to the barn to see my horse, and then my evening cooking class was postponed until next week due to poor weather and slippery conditions. Cameron spent the night at Bryce Resort with his classmate Alex and his family, leaving me an almost eerily quiet house […]

Driving up Paris Mountain this morning, I was struck again by how different the climate has been this winter at our elevation of 1,926 feet. From the freak October snow storm that dumped 9 inches of snow on our green-leafed trees, to the cold fog banks and clinging rain clouds, it seems the mountain has developed its own microclimate. Today, for instance, I left the mountain in pouring rain to pick up Cameron, only to reach Middleburg, just 18 miles […]

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My Story

For the past 25 years, my professional photography career has been focused on horses in sport, however, I'm now in the process of exploring the nature and fine art realms. I hope you enjoy the variety of images I'll be posting during the year. I look forward to your comments and critiques!